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Thursday, March 12, 2015

The rain that plagued the USTA Spring Team championships continued to wreck havoc on Thursday, but champions were crowned on the final day, with the Angels and the Patriots taking titles, both based on the number of sets won.

Play didn't get underway until after 1 p.m., with overnight rain and occasional drizzle keeping the 60 courts at the Mobile Tennis Center in various phases of damp. Singles would decide the gold, silver and bronze balls, with all matches starting at 2-2 in each set. With no forecast suggesting any extended window for play, there was no telling how important each match or even each game might be when it was announced that matches, sets and games would decide the winners if play was abandoned due to weather conditions.

The No. 1 players took the courts first for the Angels and the Firecrackers, who were playing for the girls titles. Jessie Aney posted the Angels first point, beating good friend Savannah Slaysman 6-3, 6-3 in the 18s. Slaysman and Aney were on the championship team last year, but Aney said she was able to overcome that emotional hurdle.

"She's one of my best friends," said Aney, who has committed to North Carolina. "I'm not saying you have to put the friendship aside, but you've got to compete when you get on the court. So I just got in my zone and forgot she's one of my best friends. It was a little tough though."

The Firecrackers answered back on the 16s court, with Isabella Lorenzini defeating Natasha Subhash 6-2, 7-6(2). They then edged ahead with Saige Roshkoff defeating Jacque Dunyon 6-2, 2-6, 10-5 on the 12s court. The final No. 1 match went to the Angels, with Victoria Hu winning the 14s match over Shelly Yaloz 6-4, 6-3, making it 2-2. The Angels Madeline Meredith led Taylor Russo at No. 2 18s 6-4, 2-3; in the No. 2 16s, Maria Ross was up 5-4 on the Firecrackers Sarianna Kuuttila; in the No. 2 14s, the Angels Anna Alons led Nina Gulbransen 5-4, and in the No. 2 12s, the Firecrackers Sonia Maheshwari led Elaine Chervinsky 6-4, 4-4 when play was halted by rain for the final time.

In the boys final, the Patriots and the Eagles had accommodated a player with an early flight and the No. 2 18s played first, with the Patriots Jack Turchetta defeating Kamran Khan 6-4, 6-3 to give his team a 2-0 lead, after Chase Wood had beaten Ignacio Garcia of the Eagles 6-2, 6-2 on the No. 1 16s court for their first point.

The Eagles came back to tie it however, with Anuj Watane beating William Grant 6-3, 7-5 at No. 1 14s, and Eli Gordon defeating Maxwell McKennon 4-6, 6-3, 10-6 at No. 1 12s. In the No. 1 18s match, the Eagles Jacob Hansen led Parker Wynn 3-0; in the No. 2 16s match the Patriots Axel Nefve led Zummy Bauer 7-5; in the No. 2 14s match, Theodore McDonald led the Eagles Griffin Babineaux 6-4, 3-3, and in the No. 2 12s match, the Patriots Thomas Navarro and the Eagles Phillip Dell were tied at 4-4.

That ended the only extended rain-free stretch, with sprinkles causing delays, while play resumed on some courts and not others depending on their drying rate. In the other matches in the compass draws, players were leaving for the airport and many matches were abandoned, but those playing in the medal round had reason to wait out the drizzle. Play resumed again and a few games were played in the remaining matches on court, but another rain delay proved too much, and at 4:30 the decision was made to cancel play.

The calculations were then made to determine the gold, silver and bronze medalists, and the bronze balls were decided without much math needed. The Diamondbacks took the girls bronze match by virtue of leading the completed match count 2-0 over the Devils, and the Panthers won the boys bronze balls by taking the completed match tiebreaker 3-2.

The Angels were announced as the girls champions after they had won six completed sets to the Firecrackers four, and the Patriots took that same tiebreaker seven sets to three.

For Angels coach William Brown, who coached the bronze ball boys team in last year's championship, the rain and its repercussions weren't the story.

"We've had our frustrations this year with the rain this year, but it's a great event. The girls played clean, with great conduct, and they're champions," said Brown, a teaching pro at the Frontenac Racquet Club in St. Louis, Missouri. "They're great examples and this is how junior tennis should be."

Brown said his 18s players set the tone for the team.

"We didn't have any drama, and I attribute that to the leadership of my 18-year-olds," Brown said. Jessie [Aney]--the girl plays so many out balls, competes so hard, great conduct, great attitude.
It's a fantastic format and I really like the different age groups together. As the week progresses you work through that awkwardness of the first couple of days, and as things progress, you develop some really unique relationships and I think that's a pretty special part of this event from the coach's perspective."

Jeff Bearup, the Patriots coach, was new to the event this year, but he too appreciated the camaraderie that developed throughout the week.

"It's always a trying situation when you have eight strangers, trying to create chemistry, but they are all very competitive players and that's a common denominator," said Bearup, a founder of the New England Academy of Tennis in Boston. "That really kind of bonded them as a team, and everybody contributed. It was just a huge performance all week long."

Bearup saw that effort throughout the week culminate in a title, which he dubbed "huge."

"It wasn't just one match. When it came down to this, the will they demonstrated this week got them the gold balls."

The sportsmanship awards were announced, with Jessie Aney and Oliver Crawford this year's recipients.

Anyhow - this event is more about networking if you ask me. Like the NFL Combine is not about football. Make 2-3 contacts that can help along this journey and your trip is a success. Focus on a GOLD ball and your wasting time.

Gold Ball - you are just flat out wrong. A gold ball is something that kids spend their entire junior careers fighting for. The fact that we now have a tournament that has them in the gift bag is nothing short of absurd and shows how out of touch this industry is with its players. I have been to a dozen gold ball matches and they have all been wars. Those kids wanted those balls so much.

So is it the GOLD Ball or the MATCH? I've seen kids @ Match Play during USTA PD Camps fight like hell. Fact is real competitive kids get excited for the tennis. Beating their nemesis, top dog, whomever they get pumped for. Have yet to meet any kids that talk of GOLD Balls. They have a goal, and it's not a BALL? Maybe Parents/Coaches want it on their resume.

My Kid wants ITF Top 20 by 2017 and an event that lets her compete against her Peers, Four Matches is a good event.

I can't even find her Bronze ball, and if it was gold would be in the same place.

Maybe that is wrong with US Tennis, GOLD Balls! Guess there are what 3 a year, so the several hundred that don't get them are…….